The invention of the plane. Technology, science, and innovation

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The Invention of the Plane
Technology, Science, and Innovation
Student: Maksim Karapunarly
Group: BFBO-10-26
RTU MIREA
7 October 2026

2.

Introduction
Relevance: planes connect countries and people
all over the world.
Problem: how did people turn the dream of flying
into a real machine?
Goal: to trace the key steps in inventing the plane.
Hypothesis: the plane was invented step by step;
control was the key to success.
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3.

Plan of the presentation
1. Before 1903: early ideas and gliders
2. The breakthrough: the Wright brothers and how a
plane flies
3. After 1903: faster, farther, safer
4. Problems and conclusions
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4.

Before 1903: early ideas and gliders
Year
Person
What happened
1500
Leonardo da Vinci
Sketches of flying machines
1799
George Cayley
Idea of a fixed-wing aircraft
1853
Cayley's glider
First glider to carry a person
1891–1896
Otto Lilienthal
More than 2,000 glider flights
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5.

The Wright brothers, 1903
17 December 1903, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
Four flights of the Wright Flyer
First flight: 12 seconds, about 37 m
Longest flight: 59 seconds, about 260 m
Key idea: control in three axes – roll (wing warping), pitch (elevator),
yaw (rudder)
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6.

How does a plane fly?
Lift: wings push the air down, the
plane goes up.
Thrust: engine and propeller pull the
plane forward.
Flight: lift is greater than weight and
thrust is greater than drag.
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7.

After 1903: farther and faster
1908: Wilbur Wright flies for 2
h 20 min in France
1939: first jet aircraft
1952: first jet airliner, the
Comet
1970: Boeing 747 and mass
air travel
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8.

Problems and challenges
Safety: early flights were very dangerous; today
flying is one of the safest ways to travel.
Environment: aviation produces about 2–3% of
global CO₂ emissions.
Noise and cost: airports are noisy and fuel is
expensive; new engines must be quieter and more
efficient.
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9.

Conclusions
1. The plane was invented step by step by many
people.
2. The Wright brothers succeeded in 1903 because
they solved the problem of control.
3. Aviation keeps developing: the next steps are
cleaner and quieter planes.
Thank you for your attention!
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Sources
Crouch, T. D. (1989). The Bishop's Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright. W. W.
Norton.
Anderson, J. D. (1997). A History of Aerodynamics. Cambridge University Press.
NASA Glenn Research Center. Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics (nasa.gov).
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Wright Brothers (airandspace.si.edu).
Encyclopaedia Britannica. Wright brothers (britanica.com).
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